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Sun Storm To Cause Massive Auroral Display
glengyron writes "SMH reports a major geomagnetic storm will cause a spectacular display of shimmering coloured lights in the night sky of the Southern Hemsiphere. Read more here or check out the press release from the Australian Space Weather Agency (pdf)."
Here's the article: Night sky spectacular November 9, 2004 - 4:42PM A spectacular light show is expected to play across Australia's southern skies as a major geomagnetic storm rages above the earth's atmosphere this week. Many-hued shimmering and moving lights should appear in the night sky in the southern half of Australia over the next two nights, the Australian space weather agency, IPS Radio and Space Services, said. Since November 3, a massive sunspot has caused several explosions on the sun's surface, which have hit the earth's geomagnetic field and caused a major geomagnetic storm. "This storm is expected to continue for the next two to three days as material now in transit from the sun interacts with the geomagnetic field," IPS deputy general manager Phil Wilkinson said. "Reports of aurora have already been received from as far north as the Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran in northern NSW." As well as creating a spectacular light display, the storm is likely to disturb the earth's upper atmosphere and interfere with technological systems including short wave or high frequency (HF) radio. "HF radio remains an important tool for communications and surveillance within Australia for defence, air and sea transport and emergency service groups," Dr Wilkinson said. Satellites may be damaged and aeromagnetic surveys could be adversely affected, he said, but the activity posed no direct threat to people on earth. I guess this means all the tinfoil hat wearers in the southern hemisphere can take them off for a couple of days.
"Lack of technical competence coupled with the arrogance of power, as usual, leads to no good end."
The article says it may go as far south as Oklahoma, but I haven't seen anything yet here in Colorado, although I did see some pretty nifty Aurora Borealis over Boulder, Colorado last year.
Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
IM actually in canada for 3 weeks, and the one goddam time i maight actually be able to see an aurora ist happening in the southere hemisphphere. WTF?!?!?
All Troll + "offtopic" mods are meta moderated as "Unfair", because you abused the system.
This is what the sky looked like for a few minutes in Sweden yesterday: Norrsken
;)
Personally I missed it, but I've seen the phenomenon 100s of times before because I'm initially from the middle/north parts of Sweden. It's really beautiful and surrealistic when it's constantly moving and morphing like an Amiga-demo plasma-effect in the sky.
My other account has a 3-digit UID.
Actually, I enjoy talking with people that are clueless about astronomy because they tend to be the ones that show the most interest once they realize just how mysterious the universe is... Go astronomy!
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking
One of the things on my list of pictures to get on my new camera included Norther Lights(lightning and shooting stars are on that list still). Last night over ottawa we had a reasonable show, not too much sheeting, but good sky coverage(about 30%), green generally and some red. I got about 7 or 8 good shots with a 10 - 15 second exposure(looks better then real life). I'd post them, but I'd prefer not to liquify my server...
Anyway...
JC
On Arrakis: early worm gets the bird. Magister mundi sum!
I saw the lights early this morning (~2AM 11/10/2004).
I've been in southern Michigan for 30+ years. This was the first display I have witnessed. Quite an impressive site (so much so that I woke my wife up and made her watch them too.)
-MS2k
I live in southern Wisconsin. My niece called around 8:00 Sunday night to tell me about the show. When I went outside, I didn't see much -- just a diffuse band of light.
But then I went outside again after midnight, and it was GLORIOUS. The whole northern half of the sky was lit up and flickering, ligh a neon sign on the fritz. I actually saw a RAINBOW. Around 2:00 AM, for less than a minute, I saw a glowing, red-yellow-green display low in the northeast.
This isn't the first time I've seen the aurora, but it was one of the best.